Jewish organizations have called for organizing a march and mass rally at the gates of Al-Aqsa Mosque on Wednesday, demanding free access to and prayer in the Muslim holy site. The rally is speculated to start from the Mughrabi Gate near Buraq Wall at 7:30 am, and to go around al-Aqsa doors to pressure the Israeli police to allow them to storm the mosque from all doors. Senior rabbis and politicians will participate in the rally including Rabbi Yisrael Ariel, paratrooper and founder of the Temple Institute, the extremist Rabbi Yehuda Glick, and Deputy Speaker of the Israeli Knesset (Parliament) Moshe Feiglin, in addition to journalists and members of the right-wing Likud party. This Israeli attempts to storm al-Aqsa mosque came in light of the Israeli calls to divide the mosque and impose a new status quo.

The Israeli occupation authority (IOA) has endorsed the construction of new settlement units in occupied Jerusalem. Hebrew daily Ha’aretz on Tuesday quoted minister of economy Naftali Bennett as saying that the government was intent on resuming construction of settlement units especially in Jerusalem.

He said that his party would not endorse any government decision to freeze construction of settlements in the West Bank and Jerusalem.

Bennett said that tenders would be put out within the few coming days for the construction of new housing units in Jerusalem and in other areas.

He also denied press reports that his party had agreed to the release of 104 Palestinian prisoners as a goodwill gesture to coincide with the re-launching of negotiations with the Palestinians.

PLO Negotiations Affairs Department issued in a press release, the new fact sheet entitled "Palestine's Capital: The 1967 Border in Jerusalem and Israel's Illegal Policies on the Ground." The report focuses on the importance of the 1967 border, the Palestinian and international positions on East Jerusalem, as well as Israeli policies aimed at redrawing the 1967 border. "Such illegal Israeli policies against Palestinian land and people aim at effectively change the status quo of Jerusalem in order to turn it into an exclusive Jewish city. A key ingredient for such a goal is to make impossible the administrative division of the city, something that effectively destroys the internationally endorsed goal of two sovereign and independent states, Palestine and Israel, living side by side on the 1967 border."Link to the Fact Sheet[PDF]

The senior member of the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO), Ahmed Qurei has warned that the Israeli regime plans to destroy the Islamic and Arab identity of al-Quds. Qurei, who is a member of the PLO Executive Committee, slammed the Tel Aviv regime’s policies which are aimed at violating and destroying ancient and historical sites in the city. He also said that Israel is trying to Judaize al-Quds. Qurei called on Arabs and the international community to protect the city’s mosques, especially the Al-Aqsa Mosque, against Tel Aviv regime’s excavation plans. Over the past decades, Israeli has tried to change demographic makeup of al-Quds by constructing illegal settlements, destroying historical sites and expelling the local Palestinian population. The Tel Aviv regime has increased its illegal settlement expansion following an upgrade of Palestine’s status at the UN to a non-member observer state on November 29, 2012. More than half a million Israelis live in over 120 settlements built since the 1967 Israeli occupation of the West Bank and East al-Quds. The international community considers the settlements illegal. The United Nations and most countries regard the Israeli settlements as illegal because the territories were captured by Israel in a war in 1967 and are hence subject to the Geneva Conventions, which forbids construction on occupied lands. On July 19, the European Union published new guidelines banning its 28 members from funding projects in Israeli settlements in al-Quds, the West Bank or Golan Heights, which the Tel Aviv regime occupied during the 1967 war. The Guidelines are part of the 2014-20 financial frameworks which incorporate all sectors of cooperation between the EU and Israel, including economics, science, culture, sports and academia. Original post published on PressTV. View original article here.

The excavation site in the Old City of Jerusalem revealed a massive structure first used as a hospital during the 11th century.

Part of a gigantic, thousand-year-old structure that served as the largest hospital in the Middle East during the Crusader period will soon be open to the public, following a 13-year excavation, the Israel Antiquities Authority announced Monday. Located in the Christian Quarter of the Old City of Jerusalem and owned by the Muslim Waqf (an Islamic endowment of property held in trust for charitable or religious purposes), the 11th-century structure spans more than 150,000 square feet and is characterized by massive pillars and ribbed vaults, with ceilings as high as 20 feet. The Grand Bazaar Company of East Jerusalem initiated the excavation and research in cooperation with the Antiquities Authority. It plans to turn the structure into a restaurant and visitor center, expected to open to the public in the next year. On Monday, the Antiquities Authority unveiled a main hall, which is similar in appearance to the Knights' Hall in Acre, in northern Israel, and is estimated to constitute only a small part of what functioned as a massive hospital. Renee Forestany and Amit Re'em, the excavation directors from the Israel Antiquities Authority, say that the hospital served the entire population of Jerusalem, helping as many as 2,000 patients from all religions. In addition to the medical departments, the hospital also functioned as an orphanage. In a press release, the archaeologists said, "We've learned about the hospital from contemporary historical documents, most of which are written in Latin. These mention a sophisticated hospital that is as large and as organized as a modern hospital." The hospital was constructed by a Christian military order known as the Knights Hospitaller to provide medical treatment for pilgrims who came to Jerusalem to die. According to the archaeologists, the Muslim Arab population was instrumental in assisting the Crusaders in establishing the hospital and teaching them medicine. Saladin, founder of the Ayyubid dynasty, reportedly lived nearby and helped preserve the structure, allowing Crusader monks to stay there. Remnants of horse and camel bones found during the excavation, as well as metal for shoeing the animals, indicate that the structure also served as a stable during the Middle Ages. A 1457 earthquake around Jerusalem likely destroyed most of the building, which remained in ruins until the 19th century. Part of the building was opened as a market during the Ottoman Empire, and it served as a fruit and vegetable market until 2000, when excavations began. According to Monser Shwieki, manager of the project, part of the building will be converted into a restaurant, and "its patrons will be impressed by the enchanting atmosphere of the Middle Ages that prevails there."

The IOF erected a military checkpoint at the entrance to Beit Ummar village in al-Khalil, south of the occupied West Bank. Spokesperson of the Popular Committee to Resist Wall and Settlement in Beit Ummar, Mohammad Awad, told Quds Press that the occupation forces set up at early hours of the morning a military checkpoint at the entrance to Beit Ummar and searched Palestinian vehicles. The Israeli forces declared the area as a closed military zone for hours and prevented all vehicles and buses from dropping off passengers coming from Jerusalem where they were performing prayers at al-Aqsa mosque to mark Lailatul Qadr.

Barcelona team delegation has visited Sunday morning the Buraq Wall (Western Wall of Al-Aqsa Mosque) in occupied Jerusalem under tight Israeli security protection The delegation wore the Catalan team uniforms and put white hats on their heads (Kibah) used by Jews for prayer upon entering the Buraq Wall. The team members stood along the Buraq Wall where they left written prayers and wishes on pieces of papers wedged into the cracks of the ancient stones according to the Jewish norms. After leaving the Buraq Wall, Barcelona delegation has headed to visit the Israeli president Shimon Peres at his residence in occupied Jerusalem. Barcelona’s visit to the region came in light of the "Peace Tour" to the middle east that includes a meeting with the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu lashed out at new Iranian President Hassan Rowhani on Sunday, saying that he shared his hardline predecessor's aim of destroying Israel.

"The president of Iran said the day before yesterday (Friday) that Israel is a wound on the body of Islam," Netanyahu's office quoted him as saying at the start of the weekly cabinet meeting.

"The president of Iran may have been changed but the aims of the regime there have not," Netanyahu said.

"Iran's intention is to develop a nuclear capability and nuclear weapons, with the aim of destroying the state of Israel."

Rowhani formally took office on Saturday at a ceremony in which he received the endorsement of supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who retains the final say on all strategic issues, including nuclear talks with the the major powers.

Western governments suspect that Iran's nuclear program is cover for a drive for a weapons capability. Iran insists it is for power generation and medical purposes only.

Both the United States and Israel -- which has the Middle East's sole, if undeclared, nuclear arsenal -- have refused to rule out a resort to military action to prevent Iran developing a weapons capability.

Rowhani too took a swipe at Israel during Friday rallies marking the annual Quds (Jerusalem) Day.

"In our region, a wound has for many years been sitting on the body of the Islamic world in the shadow of occupation of the holy land of Palestine and the dear Quds," Rowhani said in remarks broadcast on state television.

He pledged allegiance to the Palestinian cause and rejection of Israel as a Jewish state, an unfaltering cornerstone of Iranian foreign policy since the 1979 Islamic revolution toppled the US-backed shah.

Members of Congress have introduced legislation that would transfer the US Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem, sending a message of commitment and resolve to Israel and also presenting the US government with a cost-saving measure at a time of major budget cuts. The bipartisan bill, known as the Recognition of Jerusalem as the Capital of the State of Israel Act (H.R. 2846), comes as Israelis and Palestinians are resuming peace negotiations after a three-year hiatus, and is intended to offer an unflinching sign of support on Capitol Hill for Jerusalem as Israel’s undivided capital.

The bill, which is being sponsored by Representatives Trent Franks (AZ-08), Brad Sherman (CA-30), Doug Lamborn (CO-05), Gene Green (TX-29), Juan Vargas (CA-51), is now being circulated among members of Congress. The initiative is unique because it recommends that the United States government either repurpose the current Embassy property in Tel Aviv to a consulate, or sell the property, which has the potential to garner an estimated hundred million dollars at market value. "The United States was the first nation to recognize Israel's sovereignty, a mere 11 minutes after the new state was formed in 1948. Today, 65 years later, Israel remains a uniquely precious ally.

Just as the United States has assisted the Jewish people in restoring their ancient state, it is only fitting that we lead the way in recognizing Jerusalem for what it is: the undivided, eternal capital of Israel," said Congressman Tent Franks.

“It is long overdue for the US government to relocate our embassy to Israel’s capital, Jerusalem,” said Congressman Brad Sherman. “Congress overwhelmingly passed legislation to move the US embassy to Jerusalem in 1995. It is time to follow through on our commitment.” “For historical, biblical and moral reasons, we are committed to the unity of Jerusalem as Israel's undivided capital with no waivers and no caveats," said Congressman Doug Lamborn.

"Our unflinching support is especially crucial at this critical hour of turbulence throughout the region." “I am proud to be an original co-sponsor of the Recognition of Jerusalem as the Capital of the State of Israel Act. I voted for the Jerusalem Embassy Act in 1995, which called for the American Embassy to be moved to Jerusalem, and this new legislation will assure that the intent of the 1995 law is finally fulfilled," Congressman Gene Green. “As an ardent supporter of our greatest ally in the region, I believe that transferring our embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem will reaffirm our commitment to the state of Israel,” said Congressman Juan Vargas. “As a continuation of over 3,000 years of Jewish history, Jerusalem must remain the undivided and eternal capital of Israel."

Successive US administrations including Presidents Clinton,Bush and Obama have repeatedly used the presidential waiver to delay moving the US Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, in accordance with a 1995 law which authorized the embassy's relocation but which gave the president the power to postpone its implementation every six months.

Likud's Knesset member Moshe Feiglin called for desecrating the Aqsa Mosque in thousands during the holy month of Ramadan, while the Jewish Home's Knesset member Eli Ben Dahan called for killing the Palestinians. A Hebrew channel quoted Feiglin as saying that preventing the Jews from entering what he described as the temple mount (Aqsa Mosque) during Ramadan is a source of concern, especially since it is associated with the Israeli diplomatic talks with the Palestinians. Feiglin also expressed his fears of what he claimed as the Muslim takeover of the alleged temple mount in the framework of an intended agreement between the Israeli government and the Palestinian Authority. For his part, Eli Ben Dahan, who also serves as a deputy minister of religious services, incited the Jewish settlers to kill the Palestinians. In a press interview conducted by an Israeli magazine, Dahan described the Palestinians as "animals who do not deserve to live", and called for killing them. He claimed that the Palestinians do not want peace and teach their kids in refugee camps how to use weapons to kill the Jews.

The Israeli occupation authority (IOA) plans to convert a historical Islamic mosque in occupied Jerusalem to a synagogue, Haaretz newspaper said. The newspaper said that the Israeli antiquities authority intends to remove all Islamic features of Nabi Dawoud (Prophet David) Mosque in Jerusalem after it was vandalized by Jewish settlers. Extremist Jewish settlers stormed the Mosque recently and embarked on smashing its ceramic and marble walls, which dates back to the Ottoman era. Instead of repairing the damage caused by the settlers, the Israeli antiquities authority decided to Judaize the Mosque, which was built in the seventh century, and turn it into a synagogue.

Thousands of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip participated in the annual World Quds Day march, called for by the national and Islamic factions in Gaza on Friday afternoon. The march was launched from Gaza mosques and was attended by leaders of factions, including a number of leaders and spokesmen of Hamas, the Islamic Jihad and the popular resistance committees. The masses roamed the streets of the Strip and headed for the center of Gaza City, where they held a rally. The marchers raised Palestinian flags, models of the Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock and banners denouncing the silence regarding the racist practices of the Israeli occupation authorities (IOA) against Islamic and Christian holy sites. The factions' leaders called during the festival for supporting Jerusalem and the Jerusalemites, and urged the Palestinian negotiator to end the futile negotiations with the IOA and not to waiver the Palestinian constants. They also called on Arabs and Muslims to place the issue of Jerusalem on the top of their priorities.

Rouhani has pledged to 'follow the path of moderation and justice, not extremism' after his election as Iran's next president

On the sidelines of a pro-Palestinian rally in Tehran, Rouhani misquoted as saying Israel is a wound that 'should be removed'

Iran's president-elect, Hassan Rouhani, speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a pro-Palestinian rally in Tehran earlier on Friday, was misquoted as saying that Israel is a wound that "should be removed".Iran's semi-official Isna news agency misreported Rouhani's quotes, which were then

widely disseminated by western news agencies and prompted Israel's prime minister, Binyamin Netanyahu, to react to remarks that the Iranian president never made.

Isna initially quoted Rouhani as saying: "The Zionist regime has been a wound on the body of the Islamic world for years and the wound should be removed."

In fact, Rouhani said: "In our region, a sore has been on the body of the Islamic world for many years in the shadow of the occupation of the holy land of Palestine and the dear Quds."

He added: "This day is in fact a reminder that Muslim people will not forgot their historic right and will continue to stand against aggression and tyranny."

Rouhani did not mention the word Israel, nor that it should be "removed". The agency has now amended its article to reflect the true quotes but the falsified ones have already been doing the rounds. Iran's English-language state television, Press TV, also said Rouhani's quotes had been distorted.

Rouhani was speaking at the al-Quds day, an annual event held on the last Friday of the fasting month of Ramadan, aimed at showing solidarity with Palestinians. A video of Rouhani showing him expressing those remarks is posted on Youtube.

According to the Associated Press, Netanyahu reacted to Rouhani's falsified quotes by saying: "The real face of Rouhani has been exposed earlier than expected… This is what the man thinks and this is the Iranian regime's operational plan ... A country that threatens to destroy Israel must not be allowed weapons of mass destruction."

Iran's new president says 'Zionist regime' is a 'wound that should be removed' as millions mark al-Quds Day. Netanyahu: Rohani's true face exposed sooner than expected Ahmadinajed: A devastating storm will uproot basis of Zionism

Iran's new president has called Israel an "old wound" that should be removed in comments published just two days ahead of his inauguration and as millions of Iranians took to the streets to mark al-Quds Day.

Hassan Rohani's remarks about Israel - his country's archenemy - echo those of other Iranian leaders.

Iran's semi-official ISNA news agency says Rohani spoke after taking part in an annual pro-Palestine rally in Tehran on Friday.

The report quoted Rohani as saying: "The Zionist regime has been a wound on the body of the Islamic world for years and the wound should be removed."

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in response, "Rohani's true face has been exposed sooner than expected. Even if his comments will quickly be denied – that's what the man thinks and that's the Iranian regime's game plan."

"These remarks should awaken the world from the illusion that has taken hold on some since the elections in Iran," he added.

Outgoing President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad also addressed the Iranian people offering remarks that were equally as scathing.

"I will inform you with God as my witness, a devastating storm is on the way that will uproot the basis of Zionism," Ahmadinejad told crowds at annual al-Quds Day rallies.

Israel "has no place in this region", he added.

Mass rallies are being held across Iran on International al-Quds Day in support of the Palestinian people.

Protesters are carrying Palestinian flags and anti-Israel signs. They are chanting slogans against the United States and Israel.

"Millions of Iranians from all walks of life took to the streets nationwide in solidarity with the oppressed Palestinian nation, voicing their anger at the policies of the Israeli regime and its allies and calling for the liberation of Palestine," Iran's Press TV website reported.

On Thursday, Iran’s Foreign Ministry called on Iranian people as well as Muslim nations to take part in International al-Quds Day rallies to show their opposition to the Israeli regime.

In a statement, the ministry said that the clear message conveyed by the Palestinian resistance and the Islamic Awakening in the Middle East is that the only way to save the Palestinian nation is for the Palestinian people and leaders to remain united and stand up to the occupying Israeli regime, Press TV reported.

Similar al-Quds marches are set to take place in dozens of other Muslim states. Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah will give a speech from his hideout in Beirut later on Friday.

Iran has been marking al-Quds Day since 1979 after Ayatollah Khomeini declared the last Friday of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan as International al-Quds Day, calling on Muslims across the world to mark the annual occasion by holding street rallies.

All that is happening in Palestine today has been created or exacerbated because of the invention of Zionism, says Rabbi Dovid Feldman of Jews United Against Zionism.

“We find [the International] Quds Day to be a very important day... because what is happening in Palestine for decades is very painful... and we find this very painful as Jews, following Jewish religion where all these crimes are totally forbidden,” Rabbi Feldman said.

“All what we see today in Palestine was created or at least exacerbated because of the invention of Zionism, and therefore, we say that the solution is not necessarily the two-state solution, the solution is that this entire occupation should be stopped, all rights should be restored to Palestinian indigenous population,” he added.

The rabbi also noted that Muslims, Christians, and Jewish people co-existed and lived in peace in Palestine and there is no reason they should not be able to live together.

Quds Day is held annually on the last Friday of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan during which demonstrators call for the liberation of Palestine and an end to Israeli occupation.

Muslims in more than 80 countries, including Iran, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Australia and Indonesia, attended Quds Day demonstrations to support the Palestinians and condemn the Israeli occupation.

In August 1979, the late founder of the Islamic Republic, Grand Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, declared the last Friday of the Muslim fasting month International Quds Day, a day of global solidarity with Palestine.

Palestinians are seeking to create an independent state on the territories of the West Bank, East al-Quds, and the Gaza Strip, and are demanding that Israel withdraw from the Palestinian territories occupied in a war in 1967.

Palestinians attend a gathering marking International Quds Day in Gaza City on August 2, 2013

Thousands of Palestinians have taken to the streets in the besieged Gaza Strip to mark the International Quds Day and demand an end to the Israeli occupation of Palestinian lands.

Quds Day is held annually on the last Friday of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan during which demonstrators call for al-Quds (Jerusalem) to be returned to the Palestinians.

Muslims in more than 80 countries, including Pakistan, Afghanistan, Australia and Indonesia, have also marked the pro-Palestinian occasion.

In Iran, millions of people took to the streets across the country on Quds Day to express their anger at Israeli policies towards Palestinians and call for the liberation of Palestine.

In August 1979, the late founder of the Islamic Republic Ayatollah Khomeini declared the last Friday of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan as International Quds Day, calling on Muslims across the world to mark the annual occasion by holding street rallies.

Palestinians are seeking to create an independent state on the territories of the West Bank, East al-Quds, and the Gaza Strip, and are demanding that Israel withdraw from the Palestinian territories occupied in the 1967 Six-Day War.

by Batoul Wehbe/ Al-Manar Website Hezbollah Secretary General Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah said on Friday that the demise of Israel is a national interest, stressing that the "Shiite" Hezbollah will continue to bear its responsibilities towards the Palestinian cause and Al-Quds. In a live speech before crowds marking the International Al-Quds Day in Dahiyeh, Sayyed Nasrallah paid tribute to late Imam Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini who designated the last Friday in the holy month of Ramadan as Al-Quds Day, and said that people are in critical need to commemorate this day. "On the seventh of August 1979, meaning few months from the victory of the Islamic Revolution in Iran, Imam Khomeini issued a statement calling on all vulnerable peoples in the world to consider as Al-Quds Day the last Friday of the month of Ramadan, and this call was confirmed by Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei," Sayyed Nasrallah said. "The goal of this call was to remind Muslims and the world of the Palestinian cause and benefit from this occasion to mobilize energies in order to save Al-Quds and Palestine from the hands of the Zionists and to highlight what Palestine and its people are suffering from starvation, Judaization and siege," He continued. On the second of August 2013, we desperately need to commemorate the occasion, Sayyed Nasrallah said, pointing out that "Palestine which we are talking about is the whole of Palestine from the sea to the river, which should return fully to its people no one of the world's Sheikh or Sayyed or Prince nor King or President or a government to give up or abandon one grain of sand from the soil of Palestine, or a drop of its water, oil, or a piece of its land and does not have a mandate to do so."Demise of Israel a National Interest "Imam Khomeini had described Israel accurately when he called it a cancerous tumor, and it is really a tumor that kills, the only solution is to eradicate it without giving it any opportunity or surrender and eradicate," He said, emphasizing that "Israel represents a constant and enormous threat not only on Palestine and the Palestinians, this is an illusion and misinformation and ignorance. Israel is a threat to all peoples and countries of the region, with its security and sovereignty and he who deny this is an arrogant." "Some might think that the demise of Israel is a Palestinian interest, it's rather a national interest of each country of the region, and it is a threat to Jordan, Egypt, Syria, and Lebanon, thus the disappearance of Israel is a national Jordanian, Syrian, Egyptian and Lebanese interest," He said. The S.G. indicated that anyone who faces and resists the Zionist project anywhere in our region and the world is not only defending Palestine but also defending his homeland, his people and his own dignity and the future of his grandchildren and children, pointing out that the responsibility is comprehensive for every Palestinian and every Arab, Muslim, and Christian in the world because it's a rightful cause, and the size of the liability may vary from people to another and from country to country, but it is the responsibility of the Palestinian people in the first hand." "Defending Al-Quds is the responsibility of everybody, the least responsibility we all bear and which we will be asked for in the Day of Judgment is to not recognize the Zionist entity and Israel's legitimacy," he said.New Enemies Invented to Forget the Real Enemy Unfortunately, Sayyed Nasrallah continued, some in the Arab world who are backed by the states and governments of the West are blocking and preventing this priority and are pushing peoples to endorse other priorities and are inventing new wars. "First they spoke of the communist expansion and Palestine was forgotten and they spent billions for that purpose. Then they invented the Iranian or Persian expansion and a war that cost billions was waged against Iran, all their military capabilities were mobilized against this 'enemy'. Had they spent only one tenth on Palestine, it would have been liberated."Conflicts Political, Not Sectarian They then invented an enemy calling it the "Shiite expansion" and said the priority is confronting the Shiite threat because it poses a greater threat to the nation than the Zionist scheme, Sayyed Nasrallah said, warning that the sectarian strife weapon is the most destructive weapon in the region. His Eminence said that what's worse is that they gave some local conflicts a sectarian nature. Sayyed Nasrallah stressed that all people who sponsor the Takfiri trend across the Islamic world and push them to the battlefields and to committing murders bear the primary responsibility of destruction and serve the Zionist entity. "Is not it time for peoples to recognize that there is who aims at demolishing the region with its peoples and armies and split it to Christians, Sunnites, Shiites, Druze, Ismaeli, Persians and Kurds?" His eminence wondered. "Unfortunately, we have no decision to point at the states that sponsor this destructive project which is the most dangerous project in the region." Sayyed Nasrallah considered that the conflict in Egypt is political, not sectarian, noting that in Libya and Yemen, there is an enormous political conflict. But in the countries of diversity, the political conflict become sectarian; this is what is being done. Sayyed Nasrallah called on resolving the conflicts in each country via political dialogue and halting the bleeding starting from Syria, Somalia, Pakistan, Afghanistan and ending in Libya, because wherever these Takfiri groups exist, there will be calamities. "Hezbollah has always called on looking for the common things and postponing or organizing the discords, and we are in need of this methodology because some discords shake the economy and security, yet nowadays the discords have become destructive," Sayyed Nasrallah pointed out. "There are some from the other trend who opened fire on all the so-called Islamic trend," he said, wondering, "Whom does this serve? Where will this enormous anarchy lead? Efforts must be united to defeat this ripping, sabotage project for the sake of the entire nation." "We are committed to our constants and priorities that make our enemies antagonize us and sometimes our friends admonish, yet understand us."We, the Shiites, Won't Abandon Palestine "Hezbollah will keep beside Palestine and the Palestinians, and we are after strong relations with all the Palestinian factions despite our differences regarding some Palestinian and Syrian issues. Al-Quds must unite us regardless of any jurisprudential, political, national, religious or ideological dispute," the S.G. said. The Hezbollah leader thanked Iran and the Syrian Arab Republic for all what they provided for Palestine, al-Quds, and the resistance factions in Palestine and Syria. "Hezbollah will keep the vigilant and alert resistance to protect Lebanon and its people and to confront the enemy's greediness alongside with the Lebanese National army that we greet its leadership, officers, soldiers, and martyrs. We also have to mention Sayyed Moussa Sader who guided us to this right path, asking the new Libyan authorities to tackle this serious issue, with a sense of responsibility." "Nowadays, the sectarian incitement is being broadcast through media outlets, satellite channels, websites and social networks against the Shiites, and those who are backing and funding this trend are themselves backing some Shiites to carry out the same missions so that we witness the massacres and car bombs, especially in Iraq. This language was activated after the Syrian crisis so that the Shiites forget Palestine and start to hate Palestine and the Palestinians. Some forces want the Shiites to get out of the Arab-Israeli conflict, meaning that Iran has to get out of this conflict. They want us to reach this conclusion." Sayyed Nasrallah addressed the U.S., Zionist Entity, UK and all their tools, saying: On al-Quds Day, which is the last Friday of Holy Ramadan, we the twelver Shiites will not abandon Palestine, the Palestinian people and sanctities." "Hezbollah, the Islamic Shiite party, will not abandon Palestine, al-Quds, and the holy sites of the nation. We were born and arisen on bearing the responsibility of defending Palestine and Al-Quds. We - the Shiites- won't abandon this cause never ever. Describe us as rejectionists, describe us as terrorists, describe us as criminals, say whatever you want and keep killing us at every front, at the door of every mosque, we the Shiites of Ali bin Abi Taleb will not abandon Palestine," Sayyed Nasrallah ended up saying.Palestine must be returned to its real owners: Nasrallah

The secretary general of Lebanon’s Hezbollah resistance movement has said the land of Palestine must be returned to its real owners.

Addressing hundreds of supporters marking the International Quds Day on the suburbs of Beirut, Seyyed Hassan Nasrallah said on Friday that liberating Palestine must be the first priority for Muslims across the world.

Hezbollah leader stated that in the past years, US and its regional allies have misled Muslims by inventing false priorities for them, including the war in Afghanistan, in a bid to divert world's attention from Israel and its brutalities against Palestinians.

He also called Israel an existential threat not only to the Palestinians but also to the whole region.

"Some might think that the demise of Israel is a Palestinian interest, it’s rather a national interest for every country in the region. It [Israel] is a threat to Jordan, Egypt, Syria, and Lebanon; thus the disappearance of Israel is in national interest of Jordanians, Syrians, Egyptians and Lebanese,” al-Manar quoted Nasrallah as saying. Hezbollah leader said Muslims worldwide must not forget their responsibility with regard to Palestine, adding that Hezbollah will never abandon the Palestinian cause and the holy city of al-Quds.

"We say to America, Israel, Great Britain and their regional tools, we say to every enemy and friend ... we in Hezbollah will not abandon Palestine and the people of Palestine," he said. In August 1979, the late founder of the Islamic Republic Ayatollah Khomeini declared the last Friday of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan as International Quds Day, calling on Muslims across the world to mark the annual occasion by holding street rallies.

Palestinians are seeking to create an independent state on the territories of the West Bank, East al-Quds (Jerusalem), and the Gaza Strip, and are demanding that Israel withdraw from the Palestinian territories occupied in the 1967 Six-Day War. (video on the link)

Tens of thousands of Muslim worshipers from the 1948 occupied Palestine and from different West Bank cities have been flocking to Occupied Jerusalem since last night to perform the last Friday prayers of Ramadan at Al-Aqsa Mosque. Al-Aqsa Foundation for Endowments and Heritage said in a press statement on Friday that tens of thousands of worshipers started flocking to al-Aqsa Mosque to perform the last Friday prayers of Ramadan there. Bayareq Foundation in the 1948 occupied territories reported that for today and Sunday (Night of Decree) it will provide 200 buses to transport worshipers from all towns and villages in the 1948 Palestine to Al-Aqsa Mosque. Meanwhile, the Israeli forces intensified their presence in the city of Jerusalem and deployed thousands of police and security elements in the form of groups throughout the city and at the gates of Al-Aqsa Mosque. Israeli authorities have imposed strict restrictions on entry of worshipers to Jerusalem. The soldiers stationed at the checkpoints have prevented thousands of Palestinians from entering the occupied city, particularly children over the age of twelve and men under 40 years old.

There are currently millions of people rallying in Iran, showing their solidarity with the Palestinian struggle against Israeli occupation. The rallies are being held in honor of International Quds Day. Millions are voicing anger at the Israeli regime, and demanding freedom and justice for Palestinians.

The day before Intl. Quds Day, Iran’s Foreign Ministry stated that the “clear message conveyed by the Palestinian resistance and the Islamic Awakening in the Middle East is that the only way to save the Palestinian nation is for the Palestinian people and leaders to remain united and stand up to the occupying Israeli regime,” Press TV reported.

International Quds day began in 1979 by the Islamic Republic of Iran’s late founder, Ayatollah Khomeini. Khomeini called for every last Friday of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan to be an occasion for rallies in solidarity with Palestinians. This solidarity includes opposition to Israeli control in the city Jerusalem, for which Quds is the Arabic name.

The sole path to liberate the land of Palestine is for the regional countries to join efforts to strengthen the existing model of resistance against Zionism, a political analyst tells Press TV.

“The Palestinians need the people and the states and the countries of the region to build capacity [for] resistance [against] Zionism and imperialism,” said Sukant Chandan in a Thursday interview.

He described Israel as “a dagger in the heart of the Arab nations and the people of the region” and noted that the Middle Eastern nations should direct their attention to this “common enemy.”

“The United Nations cannot magically do anything for Palestine if the Palestinian people are not supported by their neighbors in the region; this is the blunt reality,” the analyst added. Chandan criticized the regional countries for losing the plentiful opportunities to show solidarity against Israel and allowing the existing capacities to be “whittled away.”

He called on the Middle Eastern states to turn the tables on Israel by putting their weight behind a “resistance program” based on the model of the Palestinians' resistance and that of Lebanon’s Hezbollah movement.

The analyst made the remarks ahead of the International Quds Day slated for Friday.

In August 1979, the late founder of the Islamic Republic Grand Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini declared the last Friday of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan as Quds Day, calling on Muslims to mark the annual occasion by holding street rallies.(Video on the link)

The Aqsa foundation for endowment and heritage said that the Israeli government intends to build a settlement outpost and a synagogue to the northeast of the Aqsa Mosque. The Aqsa foundation stated on Tuesday that the Israeli plan includes the building of a Jewish neighborhood of 21 housing units and a synagogue within the walls of the old city of Jerusalem, specifically near Al-Sahera Gate in Burj Al-Laqlaq area.

It warned that Uri Ariel, the Israeli housing minister, is seeking to speed up this plan, which will contribute to the Judaization of Jerusalem, especially the vicinity of the Aqsa Mosque.

The Israeli occupation forces (IOF) violently attacked at dawn Tuesday Palestinian citizens in Jenin refugee camp and kidnapped a mosque imam. Local sources reported that the IOF stormed the camp suddenly and in a violent way and deployed themselves in different areas before they clashed with Palestinian young men.

They added that the IOF fired a hail of tear gas and live bullets at the young men, resulting in the injury of several of them.

Three of the young men suffered bullet injuries in different parts of their bodies and were rushed to hospital.

The sources affirmed that the IOF kidnapped during the campaign Sheikh Mohamed Shabrawi, the imam of Mahmoud Tawaleba Mosque.

The IOF also intensified their presence in the vicinity of Khalil Suleiman hospital near the camp and embarked on searching the area until early morning on the same day.

Witnesses reported that Israeli forces raided the Cremisan Monastery in Bethlehem late on Sunday [July 28]. The witnesses told the Palestinian News and Info Agency (WAFA) that Israeli soldiers broke into the monastery, held the people who were inside, and inspected their personal documents.

The raid was condemned as a violation of the sanctity of places of worship, and a violation of international law. Under Human Rights Law, Israel must “ensure that religious places, sites, shrines and symbols are fully respected and protected”, and “take additional measures in cases where they are vulnerable to desecration or destruction.”

The Cremisan Valley area has been a hotbed of resistance against Israel’s annexation wall, because the Salesian Sisters of Cremisan Convent and the Palestinians of Beit Jala will soon be the annexation wall’s latest victims. The planned route of the annexation wall will separate more than 50 Palestinian families of Beit Jala from their agricultural land, and they will have only limited access to the land via an agricultural gate. Furthermore, the wall will separate the Salesian Convent from 75% of its land. The convent’s land, along with the monastery, will be on the Israeli side, whereas the convent and primary school will be on the Palestinian side.

To fight the planned annexation of their land, the Palestinians of Beit Jala and the Salesian Sisters of Cremisan launched a seven-year-long legal appeal that was supported by the United Kingdom’s Foreign Secretary, William Hague, and the archbishop of Westminster, Vincent Nichols. However, on April 26, 2013, the Special Appeals Committee of the Tel Aviv Magistrate’s Court ruled in favour of the planned route of the annexation wall. The annexation wall is illegal according to international law and the fourth Geneva Convention, to which Israel is a signatory.

According to the United Nations, 85% of the annexation wall is built illegally inside the West Bank, thereby annexing roughly 10% of its land.

Israeli TV, Channel 10, has reported that, despite an Israeli decision to release 104 Palestinian detainees and resume direct negotiations with the Palestinians, the Israeli Housing Ministry approved a new settlement “neighborhood” in the heart of occupied East Jerusalem.

Direct peace talks, mediated by the United States, are supposed to start on Monday evening.

Channel 10 said that Israeli Housing Minister, Uri Ariel, approved the plan, and added that various Israeli political analysts believe this decision is a sharp blow to efforts to resume and maintain direct talks.

The plan was first presented by the Israeli “Construction and Planning Committee” in 2004, but the application was voided because the planned constructions have high walls that violate the construction code of the Jerusalem City Council.

Nevertheless, the plan was resubmitted and was approved by the City Council, and the constructions are planned to be built on five Dunams of lands in the occupied city.

Although the P.A expressed rejection to the plan, it seems to be determined to hold the first session of direct talks with Israel on Monday.

Direct talks have been obstructed since September of 2009 when a temporary settlement freeze expired and Israel started massive constructions.

Israel’s illegal settlement activities violate International Law and the Fourth Geneva Convention to which it is a signatory. Settlements were one of the main reasons that obstructed direct talks.

Settlements are spread across the occupied West Bank and Jerusalem; they along with the Annexation Wall are turning the Palestinians communities into isolated cantons.

The occupied West Bank is 5655 square/kilometers long, and 40-65 kilometers in width, while the Gaza Strip is 365 square/kilometers, 45 kilometers longs and 5-12 kilometers in width. The total size of the Palestinian territory is 6020 square/kilometers.

Israel was established in 1948 on about %78 of historic Palestine, then after the war of 1967, Israel imposed its military occupation on the rest of Palestine and started building and expanding Jewish settlements considering them part of the state.

Areas that the P.A “control” are around 210 square/kilometers, divided and largely surrounded in the West Bank by settlements and the Wall.

A horde of Jewish settlers led by Yehuda Glick, a right-wing activist from the Likud party, desecrated on Sunday morning under police protection the Aqsa Mosque, according to the Aqsa foundation for endowment and heritage. In a press release, the foundation said that a group of Palestinian worshipers gathered around Glick, who deliberately provoked their feelings, and forced him into leaving the Mosque along with the other settlers. The foundation noted that the Palestinian worshipers had intensified their presence at the Aqsa Mosque during the holy month of Ramadan in order to face any Jewish attempt to violate its sanctity.

The higher Islamic commission and the council of awqaf and Islamic affairs in occupied Jerusalem said that the Palestinian natives of Jerusalem are citizens and can never be residents. This came in a statement released on Saturday by the two Jerusalemite institutions in response to a recent Israeli measure classifying the Palestinian natives of Jerusalem as residents and not citizens in new IDs issued by the interior ministry. The new Israeli IDs given to the Palestinians in Jerusalem do not only identify them as residents, but also they are provided with an expiry date for their residence in their holy city. The higher Islamic commission and the council of awqaf and Islamic affairs condemned the Israeli measure as racist and urged the Palestinians in the holy city to uphold their legitimate rights, protect their homes and property and defend their holy sites. They highlighted that the Palestinians in the holy city are its native citizens and their citizenship cannot be decided by the Israeli occupation regime, for they are deeply rooted in their city.

Israeli occupation authorities issued on Thursday evening building permits for 40 new settlement units to expand the settlement of Pisgat Zeev, north of occupied Jerusalem. Researcher in settlement Affairs Ahmed Sub Laban said in a press statement on Friday that these units are part of the settlement project which was approved in 2007, pointing out that it will expand Pisgat Zeev settlement towards the town of Enata, which is separated from the settlement by the Israeli segregation wall.

Sub Laban said these successive steps in approving settlement projects and building more units clearly prove the occupation authorities' neglect to calls for freezing the settlement construction in Jerusalem.

"These steps raise questions about the fate of the city of Jerusalem and Jerusalemites in light of talk about a return to the negotiating table, especially as the occupation administration continues to ignore Palestinian demands," the researcher added.

In its report issued on Thursday, Bisan Center for Research and Development accused the PA of “laundering” settlement products after launching a joint industrial project. Bisan Center expressed its surprise towards statements made by Minister of State for Planning Affairs, Mohammed Abu Ramadan, that a meeting will be held at Inter Hotel in Jericho to discuss the establishment of Palestinian industrial projects. Indeed, the project is neither a new approach nor a recent tactic. It is related to "peace dividends" according to the Japanese funder and not to Palestinian industrial zone, the center added. The project, proposed and funded by Japan, is not an agro-industrial Palestinian zone. It is a joint project between Israel, Jordan, the Palestinian Authority and Japan, the statement said. The project is "political par excellence", the center added, pointing out to the Jericho Agro-Industrial Park official website (JICA) that proves the political dimension of the project. Israel and the rest parties are partners in JICA project, while the Palestinian party is not the powerful party. Thus, Israel will increase its investment profits. Bisan has issued a series of studies, warning of the seriousness of this industrial project, including a study on laundering of settlement products in the Jordan Valley. The Jericho Agro-Industrial Park entrenches and perpetuates the occupation and normalization, Bisan stresses.

Cultural event, including poetry readings and belly-dancing, aims to bolster coexistence in capital. 'We all have children and want a better life for our children,' Palestinian resident says

Musrara, Jerusalem – It is virtually impossible to eat a watermelon by yourself. The juicy red fruit begs to be shared, and in a large vacant lot just outside the walls of Jerusalem’s Old City, all kinds of people are sharing plates of watermelon and salty cheese. The event is called “The Meeting Point” and it harkens back to the 1970s when this area, which was a no-man’s land between Israel and Jordan from 1948 to 1967– was home to watermelon stands that brought Jerusalemites together. Today, the organizers have built a large wooden “bar” serving watermelon and salty cheese, along with a performance stage.

Every night for two weeks, there are free performances ranging from belly-dancing to poetry readings. Entrance is free, and patrons sit on small rattan stools. All of the material used to build the watermelon stand is recyclable, as is the mulch on the ground. “The problem between us is the leadership, not the people,” Maher Al-Mufrah, a Palestinian who runs a small hummus restaurant near the Damascus Gate, told The Media Line. “We can communicate, sit and talk and maybe we’ll come up with some new ideas.”

'There is so much conflict in Jerusalem'

Spearing a piece of watermelon, Nader Hussein, another Palestinian agrees. “We all live together in one city,” he says. “I have a lot of Jewish friends, and we help each other. The atmosphere here is very nice. The problems are with the government. We all want to live. We all have children and want a better life for our children.” The event costs about $100,000 to stage – most of it covered by donations from foundations.

The vibe at the event is laid-back hippy. Young couples carry babies in wrapped shawls, and several have brought their dogs along. Musrara also has a mix of ultra-Orthodox Jews and young students. “We live in this neighborhood and we wanted to support this project,” Itamar Arvut, a student of psychology at Hebrew University told The Media Line.

“We also wanted a chance to meet people from the eastern side of the city, which we rarely get to do.” Although Israel annexed east Jerusalem in 1967, most Jews and Arabs in the city live separately. Of Jerusalem’s 800,000 residents, about two-thirds are Jewish and one-third are Arab. Most of the Palestinians choose not to accept Israeli citizenship. The project also hopes to break down barriers between secular and ultra-Orthodox Jewish residents of the city. “I live in the Old City of Jerusalem,” Shulamit Yisrael said, referring to the area that has sites holy to Judaism, Christianity and Islam.

“We used to have all kinds of Jews there – ultra-Orthodox, regular Orthodox and non-religious -- but today it’s completely ultra-Orthodox.” She said she was looking forward to meeting different kinds of people at the event. Organizer Hamutal Vachtel says there is no political agenda to the event – just an opportunity for different kinds of Jerusalemites to bond over watermelon. “,” she told The Media Line. “It may sound naïve but by bringing simple people to come and sit together and meet each other something interesting can happen. The real peace will happen between people and it will happen here on the seam line.” This neighborhood was also the birth place of the Israeli Black Panthers in the early 1970s, a protest movement for advocating for equality for Jews that immigrated from Arab countries. Organizers say they hope that spirit of justice will permeate relations between Jews and Arabs as well. “Jerusalem should be without any walls or boundaries,” Lana Remez, an activist for Israeli-Palestinian coexistence told The Media Line. “I try to encourage people to let the mental boundary fall first. If we anticipate fear, fear will exist. The harder work for all of us is to find the unity, harmony and tolerance.”

Praying in the Great Omari Mosque elicits humanistic emotions before evoking religious feelings, especially if one knows that, thousands of years ago, people prayed in this place of worship when it was a pagan temple for Marna, the greatest of the city’s seven gods. During that era, Gazans worshiped idols and the sun.

According to Saleem Mobayed’s book "Islamic Archaeological Buildings in the Gaza Strip," when Christianity emerged at the beginning of the 5th century, the majority of the city’s inhabitants embraced Christianity and demolished the pagan temple. They built a church on the same site to practice their faith, under the supervision of the then Gaza bishop St. Prophyrus and with the support of Queen Eudoxia and her husband King Arcadius. The latter ordered 42 Greek marble columns to be shipped to Gaza to construct the church, which was named in honor of the saint. Two and a half centuries later, during the era of Islamic conquests, Gazans turned to the new religion, and the church was transformed into a mosque. It was named the Omari Mosque after Caliph Umar bin al-Khatab. The mosque is characterized by an open air courtyard surrounded by more than 20 architecturally diverse arches that date back to the Mamluk and Ottoman eras. The five outer doors of the mosque open onto the souk and the streets of Gaza’s old city. One of the doors leads to an area known as the Qaysarriya. It is comprised of small shops built during the Mamluk era that are currently used by gold vendors. On the corner of one of the mosque’s outer passageways, 66-year-old Murjan Subeih leaned on the old wall, reading the Quran. Subeih, who looked weary, probably due to the fast, told Al-Monitor on this July day that he has been coming to the mosque to read the Quran and pray since the 1960s. Proudly, Subeih recounted the history of the mosque, describing it as a spiritual fortress. He led me into the mosque, leaving the surrounding men reading Qurans looking baffled. Women are not supposed to enter the prayer space, which is formed by a set of iwans, most dating from the time when the mosque was a church. A new iwan was added during the Mamluk era, expanding the size of the prayer area to include a niche with exquisite decoration and stonework. Marble columns with Corinthian capitals are located throughout the iwans, yet do not separate it from the rest of the mosque, according to Mobayed’s book. According to the same book, the minaret was built according to Mamluk architectural style. Its lower half is in the shape of a square, and there is an octagonal section rising above. The minaret is richly decorated with carvings, some open and some closed. When standing at the western door of the mosque in the internal courtyard and looking at the minaret, one can see the cavity where the church bell used to ring, signaling prayer time. As mentioned in Abdul Latif Abu Hashem’s book "Archaeological Mosques in the City of Gaza," the outer part of the minaret has a modern form. It was built in 1926, after the original minaret was demolished during World War I. According to Subeih, who appeared to be religious, the fact that the mosque was once a pagan temple makes it even more special. He pointed to an aperture in the ceiling of the northern iwan, which is 12 meters high, explaining that it is a remnant of the past, when the sun was worshiped. He obviously didn’t know that nothing remained of the pagan temple due to rain, wind and earthquakes, and that this rounded window was a part of the church, as the aforementioned book noted. The next day, I visited the mosque’s library, which is said to have old and original manuscripts. Library officials, however, said that they were moved to a location that specialized in displaying these manuscripts. According to Tarek Haniyeh, a tourist guide for the Ministry of Awqaf and Religious Affairs, there are 20,000 books and manuscripts, which King Baibars donated to the mosque. Haniyeh told Al-Monitor that during the Islamic conquests and after Umar bin al-Khatab became caliph, the majority of the city’s Christian residents embraced the Islamic faith. Under the Umayyads, it was stipulated that Muslims were not to take over Christian houses of worship. However, because the majority of the city’s residents became Muslims, it was agreed upon that the largest house of worship — the St. Prophyrus Church — would be given to the Muslims. It was converted into the Omari Mosque, while the Orthodox Church in the Zeitoun neighborhood remained intact. Haniyeh explained that in the 12th century, crusaders built by force a cathedral dedicated to John the Baptist, which was later destroyed by Saladin and transformed into a mosque. Haniyeh added that 700 years ago, during the Mamluk era, Sultan Ahmad bin Qalawun added the fourth iwan to the southern part of the mosque. Yet, the latest additions came to pass 300 years ago during the Ottoman era, when a courtyard was added to the mosque, leaving it with a surface area of 4,100 square meters. During the Islamic era, many criticized that though churches were transformed into mosques, the reverse never occurred. Historians, however, attribute this to the fact that Islam came after Christianity. In the same concern, Mobayed said in an interview with Al-Monitor in his home that many churches preserved their identity, notably the Orthodox Church in the Zeitoun neighborhood. Speaking of the Omari Mosque, Mobayed noted that when the majority of the residents became Muslims, they agreed to transform the church into a mosque due to its ample space. He reiterated that the mosque still maintains some Christian characteristics, just like the Hagia Sofia in Turkey, in which there are still historical Christian icons. On the architectural level, Mobayed said that church-like characteristics are still apparent in the Omari Mosque because of its cathedral architectural style. Additionally, the mosque maintains a cruciform east-west axis in accordance with historic church architecture. Also, the mosque does not have a dome. During my second visit to the mosque, I saw Subeih in the same place, the Quran in front of him, taking a light nap. Suddenly, he awoke and looked in my direction with a blank stare, indicating that he didn’t recognize me. I am sure, however, that he recognizes the historical value of this place. He is one of millions of worshipers who have passed through these halls to worship the sun, God and Jesus.Asmaa al-Ghoul is a contributing writer for Al-Monitor's Palestine Pulse and a journalist from the Rafah refugee camp based in Gaza.

The city of Jerusalem has many diplomatic missions that have the official title of consulate general. These include the US, most Western European and Scandinavian countries, as well as Turkey.

These diplomatic missions report directly to their capitals and they are not accountable officially to their counterparts from their country's diplomatic missions in Israel and, more recently, in Ramallah.

This practice has been going on since the Turkish rule in Palestine and the region in the 19th century.

After the creation of Israel in 1948 these missions continued to operate mostly in East Jerusalem (some, like the Americans, owned property in West Jerusalem) and they have continued to work after the June 1967 occupation.

While these missions mostly served the Palestinian community politically, culturally and consular wise, the only difference after 1967 was that these missions widened their (mostly consular) services to all the population of Jerusalem. The US consulate in East Jerusalem continued to provide consular and cultural services while the building owned by the Americans in West Jerusalem's Agron Street became the residence of the US consul-general and later housed caravans that provided space for USAID officials working in the Palestinian areas.

American citizens who lived in the Greater Jerusalem area as well as the rest of the West Bank (both Israelis and Palestinians) were restricted to the Nablus Road consulate in East Jerusalem for their consular affairs.

Despite numerous calls by congress to move the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, the executive branch in Washington was able to apply the waiver provided in the congressional law to insist on maintaining the status quo.

As long as the status of Jerusalem was among the final status agenda items, the US refused to determine who the holy city belongs to.

US diplomatic officials, therefore, refrained to specify a country of birth when it came to anyone who was born in Jerusalem, whether of a Jewish-Israeli background or a Palestinian-Arab background.

The politically correct US mission in Jerusalem refused to assign the country of birth to those born in Jerusalem as either Israel or Palestine. Instead they came up with a clever diplomatic side step. Under country of birth, American consular officials put "Jerusalem".

For some time this diplomatic compromise worked, until theUS congress passed a law and a patriotic Israeli-American couple wanted to have their child's birth listed as Jerusalem, Israel.

US officials refused, saying this was in the executive branch's decision-making power as it, and not the legislative branch, decides foreign policy.

The angry Israeli-American suggested that Americans be given the choice of listing their country of birth as either Jerusalem or Israel.

Again the US State Department and White House refused, feeling that this choice can't be given to a Palestinian whose country of birth can't be legally stated as Palestine and, therefore, listing only Israelis born in Jerusalem as being born in Israel would clearly discriminate against Palestinians.

Every passport officer in the world would know (if the idea had been approved) that if they see someone listed as being born in Jerusalem they are in fact ethnically Palestinian.

The US State Department refused the request and the case was brought to the US court of appeals.

The US court of appeals for the District of Columbia, which reviewed the case of Menachem Binyamin Zivotofsky filed by his parents against the US secretary of state, ruled on July 23 that "Jerusalem-born Americans, whether supporters of Israel or supporters of Palestine, may not use their passports to make a political statement". It also reaffirmed that the executive branch and not the legislative branch of the US government decides such issues.

The pro-Israel lobby, which has a greater stranglehold over congress than the White House (especially a second term president), will undoubtedly be unhappy with this ruling.

The timing of this decision is crucial as the issue of Jerusalem will surely be a major topic of discussion if the expected negotiations between the Israelis and Palestinians are launched in the coming weeks and months.

The wisdom of the US court to keep out of a volatile conflict such as the Palestinian-Israeli one, and an even more sensitive issue of Jerusalem, is welcomed.

Jewish extremist groups, guarded by Israeli policemen, stormed on Wednesday morning the courtyards of Al-Aqsa Mosque from the Mughrabi Gate. Local sources said that about 32 settlers stormed the Al-Aqsa Mosque in the morning hours, and toured around its courtyards guarded by the occupation forces. They noted that the Israeli occupation forces surrounded hundreds of students who were present in the Al-Aqsa Mosque courtyards in rejection of the raid. The locals added that the Israeli police checked the identities of the students at the gates of the Mosque, and tried to arrest one of them.

Israeli authorities have decided to close Ibrahimi Mosque in al-Khalil (Hebron) in the occupied West Bank on one of the most important nights of the holy month of Ramadan, Press TV reports.

Israeli authorities said on Monday that Palestinians will not be allowed into Ibrahimi Mosque on Lailat al-Qadr or (The Night of Destiny).

Lailat al-Qadr is the night when the first verses of Quran, the holy book of Islam, were revealed to Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). Muslims throughout the world, including in the occupied Palestinian territories, spend the entire night worshipping God in mosques.

“This Israeli policy on Ibrahimi Mosque in Hebron is unacceptable. Israelis' entrance to

the mosque and Hebron is illegal under international law. We will not give up and allow Israelis to control the area. Ibrahimi Mosque is one of the most important Islamic mosques in Palestine and it will not fall under the policies of the occupying forces,” said Mahmoud al-Habash, the Palestinian Religious Affairs minister. Ramadan is the ninth month on the Islamic calendar. Muslims fast from dawn to dusk during the month, and refrain from eating, drinking, smoking, and indulging in anything that is in excess or ill-natured.

Fasting is intended to teach Muslims about faith, spirituality, self-accountability and self-restraint.

Muslims believe Ramadan to be an auspicious month for the revelations of God to humankind.

Less than 24 hours after the Israeli military authorities had informed the Muslim Waqf in Hebron of its decision to close down the Ibrahimi Mosque (Cave of the Patriarchs) in the southern West Bank city of Hebron for Muslim worshippers during Lailat al-Qadr, the most important night for Muslims, it retracted its decision, a Muslim official said Wednesday. Director of the Hebron Waqf, the Muslim endowment, Tayseer Abu Sneineh said Israel has informed them the day before of its intention to ban Muslims from entering the mosque on that night and the next day, Monday, August 5, because it will be open only to Jews who will be marking the first day in the month of Ayloul according to the Jewish calendar. He said Israel changed its decision and decided to keep it open on Lailat al-Qadr and close on in the next day for Muslims between seven in the morning and 10 in the evening when it will be open for Jews only. Lailat al-Qadr is the night the Quran was revealed to the Prophet Mohammad more than 1400 years ago and it comes on the night before the 27th day of the holy fast month of Ramadan, which will be on Sunday, August 4. It is considered the most important night in the Muslim calendar when Muslims spend the entire night until the next morning worshipping in mosques everywhere. Abu Sneineh had said closing the mosque on this important night to Muslim worshippers is an infringement on the right of Muslims to free worship in their holy places. Israel divided the Ibrahimi Mosque between Muslims and Jews more than 20 years ago and opens it sometimes for Muslims only on important Muslim holidays and for Jews only on certain Jewish holidays. On the rest of the days, both sides pray in their designated corners of the holy place.

Israeli authorities began implementing a new ethnic cleansing policy aims at evacuating East Jerusalem of its Palestinian residents by not recognizing the Palestinians as citizens but only as residents.

Khalil Tafakji, the settlement affairs expert in Jerusalem, told PNN that Palestinians who have recently renewed their Israeli-issued identity card have noticed that a new addition has been added on the it which says the holder of the ID card is a resident only and that his or her residency is valid for 10 years. Adding that, after the 10 years, Israel will decide whether to ask the Palestinians to submit new documents to the Israeli Ministry of Interior or they will cancel the IDs.

This policy proves that Israel does not recognize the Palestinians in East Jerusalem as citizens, yet temporary residents who have to constantly prove residency in the city by providing all needed documents to the Israeli Ministry of Interior, said Tafakji.

Tafakji also said that this policy along with the construction of apartheid wall and settlements, the demolishing of houses and other series of aggressive policies against the Palestinians and their properties aim to evacuate the city of its Palestinian residents and displace more than 300,000 Palestinians from the city.

It's worth mentioning that this policy is not new, as Israel started to apply this policy in 1994. More than 14,000 Jerusalem residents have lost their Identities since the applying of the policy.

The Israeli ministry of interior has come up with a new plan to expel the Palestinian natives of occupied Jerusalem from their city through classifying them as "noncitizens," lawyer Ahmed Roweidi revealed. Roweidi stated on Tuesday that the Israeli interior ministry started to specify periods for the residence of the natives in Jerusalem and classified them as noncitizens who are susceptible to deportation anytime. Roweidi described this new measure as a prelude to a new ethnic-cleansing campaign against the Palestinian natives in the holy city. He affirmed that a number of Jerusalemite citizens went lately to the Israeli occupation authority to renew their IDs and noticed that the word "resident" was added into the new cards with an expiry date for their residence in the holy city.

Israeli authorities decided to close the Ibrahimi Mosque in the city of Hebron in Laylat al-Qadr or "the Night of Destiny" to allow Jewish settlers to celebrate inside the mosque on the first day in the Jewish month of Ayloul (August).

The Israeli authorities informed Al-Awqaf department in the West Bank Monday evening, that the mosque will be closed on Monday

5/8/2013, which coincide with the commemoration of the Laylat al-Qadr that marks the night when the Qur'an was revealed to the prophet Muhammad in the holy month of Ramadan.

It's worth mentioning that Israel closes the mosque for almost 10 times a year in an attempt to violate the Muslim religious rights in their holy sites in Palestine.